Floor-dressing machine.



No. 820,751. v PATENTED MAY 15, 1906. G. B. WATTLES.

FLOOR'DRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1903.

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0. B. WATTLES. FLOOR DRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1903- 2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FLOOR-DRESSING MACHINE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1903. Serial No. 166,395.

Patented May 15, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, CYRA B. WATTLEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Floor-DressingMachines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in floor-dressingmachines used for surfacing, finishing, and polishing wood floors.

In the use of floor-dressing machines on wood floors it is essentialthat the weight or pressure of the dressing-roller when covered with anabrasive material, such as sandpaper, should be adjustable. When thefloor is of soft wood, such as ine, the pressure of the dressing-rollershou d be less than that required when the floor is of hard wood, suchas oak or maple.

In the use of the machine for polishing the floor the roller is coveredwith a polishing material, such as a cloth having a loop pile or nap.When the machine is used for polishing, it is im ortant that the rollershould be adjustable om the floor so that the pile or gap of the clothonly is in contact with the cor.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of afloor-dressing machine whereby the pressure of the dressing-roller onthe floor is adjustable, the dressing-roller is ad ustable from thefloor when used 1n polish- 1n the belt connecting the motor of themachine with the dressing-roller is adjusted, and a more compact machineis constructed.

My invention consists in the eculiar and novel constructionof afloorressing machine having mechanism for adjusting the ressure of thedressing-roller on the floor,

or adjusting the roller from the floor when used for polishing, and foradjusting the motor on the frame of the machine, to adjust the beltconnecting the motor with the dressingroller, as will be more fully setforth hereinafter.

Figure is a side view of my improved floor-dressing machine in itsoperative osition on the floor. Fig. 2 is a plan view 0 the improvedfloor-dressing machine, showing the motor adjustably secured on theframe of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional Vlew takenlengthwise through the machine, showing the motor and handle brokenaway. Flg. 4 1s a transverse sectional view taken on its lower en line XX of Fig. 3, showing the adjustable axle supporting the wheels at therear of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the means foradjustably securing the axle in the frame to vary the wei ht or pressureon the dressing-roller; and Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section,or the end of one of the forward arms for supporting thedressing-roller, showin one of the rubber buflers secured in the end ofthe arm to prevent the machine when in use from injuring the base-boardof a room.

In the drawings, a re resents the frame of the machine, sup orte on'thefloor by the wheels I) b and t e dressing-roller c; d, the hollow T-shaed handle, pivotally secured at to the frame; 6, the flexible electriccable, connecting with the handle; f, the electric motor, ad ustablysecured to the frame; g, the belt connecting the motor with the dressin-roller, and h the adjustin -caster for a justing the dressingroller omthe floor when used for polishing. The frame a has the sides a. aextending outward at the-front to form the arms a' (L in which are thebearings a a for the shaft of the dressing-roller c and the cavities a ain the ends of the arms for the rubber buflers a a In the sides a, a ofthe frame are the elon ated openin s a a, and extending outwar from thesi es at the ends of the 0 enings are the lugs a o for the adjusting-b0ts a a) 1n screw-thread engagement with the lu s. The wheels I) b arerotatably secured on the ends of the axle b, which extends through theopenings 0,? a in the frame and is adjustably secured by the bolts a aThe dressing-roller c is covered with an abrasive or polishing material,such as sandpaper or cloth, and is revolved by the pulle c on the outerend of the dressing-roller sha t c in the bearings a a.

The electric motor with the ulleyf has the base f 2 with the s ots f 3 f3 a justably secured to the frame a by the bolts f 4 f extending throughthe slots into the frame a. The motor is adjusted lengthwise on theframe a by the adjusting-bolts a, a, in screwthr'ead engagement with thelu s a a (forming a part of the frame a) an engaging with the base ofthe motor. The motor f is preferably a self-contained motor, such as anelectric motor, and derives its ower from a source of electric energythroug 1 the wires in thelflexiblc cable 6: These wires extend downwardthrough v the hollow T-shaped handle (1, connecting with the switch 61,placed on the handle in a convenient position or the operator andleaving the handle near its lower end through the aperture d connectwith the motor f in the usual way. The motor has sufficient ower torevolve the dressing-roller on the oor at a high rate of speed throughthe pulley f, the belt g, and the pulley c on the dressing-roller shaft,while the operator moves the machine on the floor by t e handle (1, thelower end of which abutting against the framework of the machine belowthe point of pivotal connection thereto enables the operator by deressing the handle, to lift the dressing-roller om the floor whendesired. The adj usting-caster it has the screwthreaded'stem 72/,extending upward through the cylindrical boss a, forming a part of theframe a, and is adjustably secured in the boss by thenuts MW inscrew-thread engagement with the stern h of the caster.

The pressure required on the dressingroller 0 is secured by adjustingthe position of the wheels I) b lengthwise of the machine, bringing theweight of the motor 7 more or less on the dressing-roller. The tensionrequired on the belt 9 is attained by adjusting the motor 3 on the framea, and the roller 0 is adjuste' when used for polishing by adjusting thecaster h to engage with the floor and raise the roller fromthe floor thedistance required, the machine now being su ported on the wheels I) band the caster h.

t is evident that any well-known means for transmitting power from themotor to the dressing-roller could be used and that any form of motorhaving the adaptability may be used without materially affecting thespirit of my-invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a floor-dressing machine, a motor transmittingpower to a dressing-roller, and means consisting of mechanism foradjusting the weight of the machine horizontally with the shafts of themotor and respect to the dressing-roller to put more or less Weight onthe dressing-roller to vary the pressure of the dressing-roller on thefloor,

or the purpose as described.

2. In a floor-dressing machine, a frame supporting a motor and adressing-roller, means for transmitting powerfrom the motor to thedressing-roller, consistin of pulleys on dressing-roller connected by abelt, and means for ad usting the' weight of themotor upon thedressingroller, consisting of mechanism adapted to adjust the motor onthe frame horizontally toward or from the dressing-roller, as described.I

3. In a floor-dressing machine, the-combination with a frame, a pair ofwheels therefor, a dressing-roller mounted in said frame on a Horizontalaxis and forming with said frame for driving said roller, and meansconsisting of mechanism for adjusting the weight of the machine withrelation to the dressingroller to place more or less weight. on thedressing-roller whereby to proportion the weight of the machine to besupported by the wheels and said roller for the purpose specified.

4. In a floor-dressing machine, a frame, wheels adjustably secured tothe frame, a dressing-roller rotatably secured in the frame and adaptedto engage with the floor, a motor on the frame, ahandlepivotally securedto the frame,pulleys on the shafts of the motor and dressing-rollerconnected by a belt, a caster adjustably secured in the frame andadapted to engage with the floor, means for adjusting the pressure ofthe dressing-roller on the floor, consisting of mechanism adapt- .ed toadjust the position of the wheels on the frame, means for adjusting thetension of the belt, consisting of mechanism adapted to adjust the"position of the motor on the frame,

means for adjusting the dressing-roller from the floor, consisting ofmechanism adapted to adjust the caster in the frame, to bring the casterinto engagement with the floor, and

'.means for transmitting power from a source of energy to the motor, asdescribed.

5. In a floor-dressing machine, the combination of the frame a sup ortedon the floor by the wheels I) b adjusta ly secured to the frame, and thedressing-roller c rotatably secured in. the frame, of the hollow T-shaed handle (1 pivotally secured at its lower enr to the frame, theflexible cable e havin wires extending downward through the han leconnecting with the switch (1 on the handle and to the motor fadjustably secured on the frame a by the bolts f f and a a, the pulleysf on the motor connected to the pulley c on the dressing-roller shaft 0by the belt g and the caster h having the screw-threaded stem hextending upward through the boss (1 on the frame a, and ad'ustablysecured 1n the boss by the nuts k b 1n screw-thread engagement with thestem h, as described.

6. In a floor-dressing machine, the frame (1 having the sides a 11extending outward at the front to form the arms a a in which are thebearings a a for the shaft of the dressing roller 0 and the cavities aa, for the rubber buffers a a the elongated openings (1 a 1n the sides aa, the outwardly-extending lugs a a on the sides at the ends of theopenings, thQ..adjusting-bolts a a screw-threaded in the lugs for.adjusting the position of the wheels b b rotatably supported on the axle0 extending through the oienings a a in the sides a/ a, theadjustingolts a, a in screwvthread engagement with the lugs a a on theframe a and engaging with the basejof the motor f and the cylindricalboss at in which the caster h is adjustably secured, as described.

7. In a floor-dressing machine, the combination of a frame, adressing-roller mounted in one end of the frame on a horizontal axis andextending across the longitudinal middle line of the machine and servingas a support for that end of the frame, a pair of wheels secured nearthe opposite end of the frame, said wheels and dressing-roller formingthe sole support of the frame, an electric motor mounted on the frameand connected to the dressing-roller to rotate the same, and means forconnecting the motor with a source of electric energy.

8. In a floor-dressing machine, the combination of a frame,-a pair ofWheels therefor, a dressing-roller mounted in said frame on a horizontalaxis and forming with said wheels, the sole support of the machine, aself-contained motor mounted on the frame for driving said roller, meansfor relatively adjusting the weight of the machine with respect to saidsupports whereby the pressure of the dressing-roller on the floor may bevaried, and a handle pivotally secured to the frame and abuttingthereagainst below its pivotal connection thereto, whereby the operatormay at will lift the dressing-roller from the floor.

9. In a floor-dressing machine, the combination with a frame, a pair ofsupportingwheels therefor, a dressing-roller mounted in said frame andforming with said Wheels the sole supports of the machine, aself-contained motor mounted on the frame for driving said roller andmeans for relatively adjusting the weight of the machine with respect tosaid supports whereby the pressure of the dressing-roller upon the floormay be varied.

10. In a fi0ordressing machine, a motor transmitting power to adressing-roller, and means consistin of mechanism for adjusting theweight of t e motor in relation to the dressing-roller to give more orless weight on the dressing-roller to vary the pressure of thedressing-roller on the floor, for the purpose as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRA B. WATTLES. Witnesses:-

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER, Jr

